Ghanaian media ‘often irritating – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Akufo-Addo has said although Ghana’s media are “often irritating and irksome”, he would rather “put up with a reckless press than a monotonous, praise-singing one.”

Speaking at the London School of Economics’ Africa Summit on the theme: “Africa At Work: Educated, Employed And Empowered”, the Ghanaian leader said: “The media in Ghana has come into its own, and what used to be called the culture of silence has been replaced with a cacophony that now worries some.

“I have said it before, and I believe it bears repeating, I would much rather put up with a reckless press than a monotonous, praise-singing one”.

In his view, “A democracy has no place for a media that does not keep public authorities on their toes. I acknowledge that we are all still trying to keep pace with the changing technology, and work out how we deal with social media, and, dare I say it, the phenomenon of fake news. (I shall not say more on that, and leave it to those more knowledgeable on that subject).

“But I am a firm believer in a strong and vibrant media, and I have no doubt that it is a force for good, no matter how irritating and how irksome they can be and often are. They provide the avenue for the other point of view”, he added.